THE FOLK-LORE OF FERNS 
43 
themselves into the form of a diminutive saddle, and how 
temptingly they spread themselves out and away from the 
upright stem of the plant, as if inviting a fairy’s leap from 
the fruit-spike ! The barren frond would saddle easily half- 
a-dozen fairies, each pair of leaflets forming a saddle, the 
neck of which would consist of the mid-stem of the frond 
where it joined the bases of the opposing pinnules. 
Why, however, did Queen Mab select the Moonwort’s 
pinnules for her saddle ? When duly equipped, we know 
that she gallops 
‘ Night by night 
Through lovers’ brains, and then they dream of love : 
On courtiers’ knees, that dream on court'sies straight, 
O er ladies lips who straight on kisses dream.’ 
And access for the fairies was to be obtained to the brains 
of lovers and the lips of ladies, even when the latter were 
safely locked in their chambers, by the powerful aid of the 
Moonwort saddle; for does not an ancient writer tell us that 
‘ It is believed by many that Moonwort will open the locks 
wherewith dwelling-houses are made fast..’ 
Another mysterious power was ascribed to this Fern, as 
indicated by the following lines by the poet Withers : — 
‘ There is an herb, some say, whose virtue’s such, 
It in the pasture only with a touch 
Unshoes the new-shod steed.’ 
And so great in other ways was its potency that alchymists 
and witches included it in their herbals. 
It is not surprising that some three hundred years ago a 
good deal of mystery was believed to surround the seeding 
of Ferns. It was superstitiously considered that these plants 
were propagated by invisible seeds, although it was thought 
that the ‘ black spots ’ which were found on the backs of 
their fronds had something to do with their seeding capacities. 
It was believed that these ‘ black spots ’ fell suddenly upon 
